Two West Suburban Men Arrested in Fraud Scheme

January 26, 2010 - Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced today the arrest of two west suburban men, who are alleged to have operated a Ponzi scheme which defrauded over 100 investors out of more than $4 million.

CHRISTOPHER R. ANDERSEN, age 54, of 520 Hamilton Avenue in Westmont, Illinois, was arrested late Friday, without incident, by FBI Special Agents at his residence. DANIEL J. PARRILLI, age 59, of 502 Yardley Drive in Carol Stream, Illinois, surrendered to FBI agents in Chicago earlier today. Both men were charged in a criminal complaint filed last week in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Wire Fraud, which is a felony offense.

According to the complaint, ANDERSEN and PARILLI operated Sundown Entertainment, Inc., a Westmont, Illinois based business which purported to be involved in the buying, selling, and producing of films, comic books, and other forms of intellectual property. Beginning in 2006 and continuing until they were arrested, ANDERSEN and PARILLI are alleged to have sold to investors, promissory notes based on the revenues the intellectual property was expected to generate. The promissory notes that were offered carried a return of 25 percent to 100 percent over periods as short as seven days. The complaint also alleges that ANDERSEN and PARILLI made material misstatements to potential investors, including the expected return on their investment, the status of the business transactions, and the source of the funds that were used to re-pay investors.

ANDERSEN appeared before Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox in Chicago, Friday afternoon, at which time he was formally charged. ANDERSEN was released on a secured bond, pending his next scheduled court appearance. PARILLI appeared before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole earlier today, at which time he was formally charged. PARILLI was ordered held without bond until his next court appearance which is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:45 p.m. PARILLI will be held overnight at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago. If convicted of the charge filed against them, ANDERSEN and PARILLI face a possible sentence of up to twenty (20) years' incarceration and a possible fine of up to $250,000.

The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Copies of the criminal complaint filed in this case are available from the Chicago FBI’s press office at (312) 829-1199.